HISTORY
Before the Mount Tom House, all that existed on the hillside was a single cabin with electricity and running water, and a group of friends in their 20s. They had a whole lot of energy and big visions. Through the small community they created, they built their houses and raised families. Camaraderie is at the heart of the Mount Tom spirit.
Mount Tom House was built in 1976 property, Chuck Shepard, a self-made millionaire by age 30, set out to build a house for his family. Beautiful craftsmanship, intricate stained-glass and thoughtful design gave the original 3-bedroom house its life. Four years later, with a growing family, Mr. Shepard added to the original home another 3-bedrooms and a one-of-a-kind-engineered in-ground lap pool, complete with a retractable roof.
Before the Shepards moved closer into town, they gifted land to their friends who had originally joined them on the hill. All of those neighbors still reside in their homes today and have shared with us some great stories and anecdotes of Mount Tom’s history.
The Mount Tom property got another makeover when Pauli Polumbo acquired the house in the 1990s. She turned her attention toward the property’s landscaping and added elaborate rock terraces and two spring-fed ponds. Additionally, she established the Flying Wyrm conservation easement in partnership with the McKenzie River Trust. This 140-acre nature conservancy protects the trees and wildlife behind the house and maintains hiking trails that were once logging roads.
In 2019, we became the 5th owners of the Mount Tom property. Giving the house and property a little TLC and some renovating has increased its functionality as an all-in-one place to stay for visitors to the Willamette Valley.
We hope that your stay at Mount Tom House reflects the Mount Tom spirit that our neighbors originally brought to the mountain.
Juli Accurso
Why a bed and breakfast? Juli worked as an assistant to a bed and breakfast owner for two summers in Southern France (yes, it was as lovely as it sounds!). There she learned the ins and outs of how to manage a property and provide a first-class experience for all types of guests and travelers. She’s the real boss and chef of this operation.
Here in Eugene, Juli worked as a learning specialist for Services for Student Athletes at the University of Oregon and has coached cross country and track and field at South Eugene High School. She’s taking a sabbatical from coaching to get the Mount Tom House up and going! She was a 4-time NCAA Division I All-American, 10-time Mid-American Conference Champion, and school and conference record holder while running track and cross country at Ohio University.
Kevin Accurso
Kevin spent the past 30 years running a successful small business in Troy, Ohio, before selling his business in 2018. When Craig and Juli started talking with him about this business idea, he was crazy enough to offer to come on as an investor and advisor. This project wouldn’t be where it is today without his support, his manual labor in renovation projects, and his ability to be a sounding board as this project takes off.
In addition to being a small business owner the past three decades, Kevin has served as a member of the Miami East school board since 2008. He also coaches cross country and softball at Miami East High School and has been recognized by the Ohio High School Athletic Association for his exemplary contribution and service. He’s a lover of running, good beer, and fine pizza.
Craig Leon
For better or worse, Craig started this whole project. The confluence of his work life, running life and personal hobbies provided the ingredients for what has become the Mount Tom House and running retreats in Eugene. He coordinates the running parts of this project and serves as the general contractor for most of the Mount Tom House renovations.
Craig has been a professional runner for the past 10 years, finishing in the top-10 at both the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon. He is a 3-time Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier and finished 5th at the 2015 Pan Am Games, representing Team USA.
He also works at the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business, where he manages the MBA Program for the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center and teaches sports business classes.
Whatever your reason for joining us at the Mount Tom House, we are excited to share this piece of the Pacific Northwest with you and look forward to providing you with a space that offers a chance to unwind and rejuvenate.
